1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of electrical connectors. More particularly, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a land grid array socket for forming reliable electrical connection between a land grid array package and a circuit substrate.
2. General Background
Land grid array sockets are widely used in various electrical devices to form electrical connection between a land grid array package and a circuit substrate. Basically, a land grid array socket includes a dielectric housing defining a number of passages and a number of conductive terminals secured to the corresponding passages, respectively. The conductive terminals each include a resilient arm sticking upwardly out of the housing to mate with a land grid array package seated thereon. In use, under compression of the land grid array package, the resilient arm is deflected from its natural position and resiliently abuts against the land grid array package, thereby establishing an electrical route between the conductive terminal and the land grid array package.
The materials set forth in connection with the instant U.S. patent application describe a land grid array socket and associated conductive terminals, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,186,797, 6,488,513 and 6,843,659, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
To obtain desirable signal-transmitting performance, each conductive terminal of the land grid array socket is required to reliably mate with the land grid array package. However, in each of the prior designs, there is only one contacting point between the land grid array package and the conductive terminal. Therefore, when the conductive terminal is accidentally biased from its normal position in the passage, electrical engagement of the conductive terminal and the land grid array package possibly cannot be ensured.
Therefore, there is a heretofore unaddressed need in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.